Root-proof and root-repellant, bituminous jointing and sealing compounds



United States Patent 0 3,231 398 ROOT-PROOF AND ROOT-REPELLANT, BITUMI- NOUS JOINTING AND SEALING COMPOUNDS Otto Pauli, Krefeld-Bockum, Germany, assignor to Farbenfabriken Bayer Aktiengesellschaft, Leverkusen, Germany, a corporation of Germany No Drawing. Filed Nov. 2, 1962, Ser. No. 235,105 6 Claims. (Cl. 10616) This invention relates to root-proof and root-repellant joint sealing compounds and insulations. More particularly it relates to joint sealing compounds and insulations which are based on various bituminous materials and which are characterized by a content of material which makes them root-proof and root-repellant.

Various types of bituminous materials are known. Among them, asphalts which are found naturally in lakes and other occurrences from which they must be mined, for example, gilsonite, glance pitch and grahamite, are suitable for the purpose of this invention. Furthermore, also the bituminous materials, for example coal tar pitch, which are obtained from residues derived from the distillation of coal, shale or other organic materials, can be used. Especially suitable are asphalts or bituminous materials derived from petroleum hydrocarbons, which are obtained, for example, in the form of more or less fluid residues in the distillation of the petroleum crude oils, after the volatile fractions have been removed, or

the residues obtained by distillation of the heavy residual oils resulting from breaking down under heat and pressure of petroleum distillates.

Other suitable bituminous materials are the products obtained by oxidizing the heretofore mentioned materials by blowing them with oxygen-containing gases, especially air, at elevated temperatures.

It is also possible to use mixtures of two or more of the above mentioned materials. The bituminous materials can also be used in admixture with inorganic and/ or organic filling materials, for example, asbestos, mica, stone powder, cork meal and rubber.

The above mentioned bituminous materials are frequently used as joint sealing compounds and insulations for various purposes with good results. A special problem, however, arises when such bituminous materials are used in connection with certain subterranian applications, for example, as joint sealing compounds and insulations for subterraneously laid pipe-lines, masonry and for roadsurfaces.

It is known that plant roots, in particular tree roots, in their search for water frequently penetrate water pipes and in particular sewerage pipes and wells and, thus, jointing and sealing compounds in such pipe lines are penetrated with amazing force. It occurs that the penetrating roots often cause blockages of sewerage pipes. Such damage is mainly known in bituminous jointing and sealing compounds.

It is furthermore known that bituminous insulations of pipe-lines are frequently damaged by roots. This causes the metallic corrosion of iron pipes.

Attempts have not been lacking to overcome these disadvantages of bituminous jointings and insulations and to make such material root-proof or even root-repellant. The hitherto customary effective substances for these purposes, such as napthol or pentachlorophenol, have, however, the disadvantages of being very volatile at the working temperatures customary for bituminous material, or they protect such material only in relatively high doses against the penetration of roots. The use of such chemi- SEARCH R00 cals is, therefore, connected with a considerable uncertainty or with great expense.

It has now been found that root-proof and root-repellant joint sealing compounds and insulations based on bituminous and asphaltic materials, which are especially suitable for subterraneously laid pipe-lines and masonry and for road-surfaces can be obtained by using bituminous materials with a content of herbicides which are difficult to volatilize, not notice-able soluble in water and compatible with said bituminous materials.

Examples of herbicidal compounds according to the basic principle of the present invention are the esters and the amides derived from 2,4-dichloro-phenoxy-acetic-acid, 2,4-dichloro-phenoxy-propionic-acid, 2,4 dichloro phenoxy-butyric-acid, 2,4,5-trichloro-phenoxy acetic acid, 2,4,5-trichloro-phenoxy-propionic-acid, 2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxy-acetic-acid, 2 methyl 4-chloro-phenoxy-propionic-acid and alpha-naphthyl-acetic-acid and from polyvalent alcohols or amines.

Suitable polyvalent alcohols are, for example, ethylene glycol, propane-diol-1,2, propane-diol-1,3, butane-diel- 1,4, pentane-diol-1,5, hexane-diol-1,6, diethylene-glycol, triethylene glycol, the polyether-alcohols obtained by polymerizing ethyleneoxide and propyleneoxide, glycerol, trimethylolpropane, pentaery-thritol and sorbitol.

Suitable polyamines are, for example, ethylene diamine, N,N-dimethylethylene diamine, diethylene triamine and hexamethylene diaminel 6.

Especially suitabe herbicides of the above mentioned esterand amide-types are, for example, ethylene glycolbis-(2,4-dichloro-phenoxy-acetic acid) ester, glyceroltris-(2,4-dichloro-phenoxy-acetic-acid) ester, diethylene glycol-bis- 2,4,5 -trichloro-phenoxy-acetic-acid -ester, triethylene glycol bis (2 methyl-4-chloro phenoxy-aceticacid) ester, trimethylolpropane bis-(2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxy-propionic-acid)-ester, esters of the above mentioned acids with polyethylene glycols and polypropylene glycols with molecular weights between about 200 and about 2000, bis-(2,4-dichloro-phenoxy-aoetic-acid)-ethyl ene diamide and his (2,4,5 trichloro phenoxy aceticacid)-l,6-hexamethylene diamide.

The above mentioned herbicides can be produced in known manner, for example, by heating the free acids or the acid-chlorides with the polyalcohols or the polyamines. They are viscous oils or Waxy or crystalline materials, thus, for example, the reaction product of 82 parts by weight of 2,4,5-trichloro-phenoxy-acetic-acid and 13.4 parts by weight of trimethylol-propane being a viscous oil of the specific Weight of 1.48 and a saponification number of about 180, the reaction product from 90 parts by weight of 2-methyl-4-chloro-phenoxy-propionic-acid and parts by weight of a polyethylene glycol with an average molecular weight of 400 being a viscous oil of a specific weight of 1.19 and a saponification number of 135.

The above-named herbicides have a surprisingly strong effect so that generally a good protection is already achieved with small quantities. In some cases additions of between approximately 0.1 and approximately 0.3 percent are sufficient although larger quantities, as for example, up to 5 percent of the above-mentioned herbicides, can be added to the joint sealing compounds and insulations.

The addition of the above-named substances to such compounds has the surprising effect that the roots of the plants, in particular tree and bush roots, change their direction of growth at some distance from the compounds, generally before they come into closer contact with the compounds containing the effective substance. This occurs without the roots and thus the plants themselves v3 become diseased or dying. If, however, some root tips should penetrate into the surface of the sealing compounds or into the compounds themselves, then these roots die off already in the upper layers of the compounds.

The jointings, sealing compounds and insulations ac- I claim:

1. A root-proof and root-repellant composition suit able for joint sealings and insulations for pipe lines, masonry and road surfaces in contact with earth, said composition comprising a bituminous material and from o cording to the present invention can be used for the most 0.1 to by Weight of a herbicide selected from the various purposes. Apart from the subterraneously laid group consisting of pipe-lines mentioned above, other applications are, for (a) an ester of an acid selected from the group coninstance, pipe-lines of any kind or masonry in contact sisting of 2,4-dichloro-phenoxy-acetic-acid, 2,4-diwith the ground or set in the ground, road-surfaces and chloro-phenoxy-propionic-acid, 2,4 dichloro phesuch like. noxy-butyric-acid, 2,4,5 trichloro phenoxy-acetic- The invention is illustrated in the following examples. acid, 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxy-propionic-acid, 2-methyl- 4-chloro-phenoxy-acetic-acid, 2-rnethyl-4-chloro-phe- Example 1 noxypropionic-acid and alpha-naphthyl-acetic-acid, 75.3 parts by weight of a bituminous material which is and an alcohol f the group consisting of h l obtained by blowing a residue from the petroleum crude glycol; propane 11 1 1 2; propane 1 3; b oil distillation with air at a temperature of about 180 C. tang diol 1 pentane diol 1 5; hexane dioland having Softenlng Point and ban h of 1,6; diethylene glycol; triethylene glycol; glycerol; f C': 1 Parts y welgiltpf coal tar Pltch itrimcthylol-propane; pentaei'ythritol; sorbitol and termed as a res due from the distillation of coal tar and 20 polyethylene glycgl d polypropylgne l l i h having a Softenlflg P0111t and ball method) of about molecular weights between about 200 and about 2000 C., and 14 parts by weight of milled vulcanized and natural rubber are admixegi t P by Wfiight of (b) an amide of an acid of the aforesaid group and an i l 'P Y' y l g y -(h amine selected from the group consisting of ethylene ester- Iomtmgs in a subterraneously laid P P P 25 diamine, N,l l'-diinethylethylene diamine, diethylene pared from said mixture are completely effective against triamine and hexamethylene di i -1,6 ingrqwing f even when the lointings are made from Z. The composition of claim 1 wherein said herbicide a mixture which was repeatedly heated to about is 5- h i id b 1 l l- O C. (1,4)-ester.

Example 2 30 3. The composition of claim it wherein said herbicide Several Samples f a bituminous material Obtained by is triinethylolpropane tris-2,4,S-trichloro-phenoxy-aceticblowing a residue from the petroleum crude oil distillaacld'ester- F tion with air at a temperature of about 200 C. and hav- The comilosltlon OI Clalm 1 Whfirell} Sald herblclde ing a softening point (ring and ball method) of about M is t bis-ester of Polyfithylene glycol Wlth a mOIQCUIPY 85 C. are admixed with the various herbicides given in the Wfilght of 200 and Y -P Y-P P following table in various amounts. Test plates obtained acldfrom the resulting mixture with a thickness of 10 mm. Composltlon of 31mm 1 Wherelf} 531d helblclde were tested in lime-lean soil with a pH value of 5-6 and is the ins-6816f of P y y glycol Wlth a molecular a certain content of peat against the growth of lupine- Weight of 400 and y P Y-P P 4O roots (Lupmus albus) during 8 Weeks. The following acldtable shows the number of the roots which have pene 6. The coinposltion of claim ll wherein said herbicide trated the test plates and the maximum degree of pene is the bis-amide from 1 mol of N,N'-d1methyldiam ne and tration observed in 3 simultaneous tests. 2 mol of 2-inethyl-4-chloro-phenoxy-propionic-ac1d.

Content, Number of Maximum Herbicide percent by roots which degree of weight have penepenetration,

tinted 111m.

Trimethylolpropane-tris-2,4.5-ti-ich10r0- phenoxy-acetic-acid-ester 0.6 16 1-3 Bis-ester of polyethylene glycol with a molecular weight of 200 and Z-methylA-ehlortr phenoxy-propionic-acid 0. 3 18 1-3 Do- 0.4 16 0. 5-1 Bis-ester of polyethylene glycol with a molecular Weight of 400 and 2-inethyl-4-chlorophenoxypropionicracid 0. 4 22 1-4 D0 0. 55 12 0. 5-1 Bis-amide from 1 mol N,N-dimetl1ylethylene diamine and 2 mol imethyl-tchloro-phenoxy-propionicracid 0. 6 10 i-2 References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1956 Eisenhut 106-284 FOREIGN PATENTS 9/ 1960 Germany. 

1. A ROOT-PROOF AND ROOT-REPELLENT COMPOSITION SUITABLE FOR JOINT SEALINGS AND INSULATION FOR PIPE LINES, MASONARY AND ROAD SURFACES IN CONTACT WITH EARTH, SAID COMPOSITION COMPRISING A BITUMINOUS MATERIAL AND FROM 0.1 TO 5% BY WEIGHT OF A HERBICIDE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF (A) AN ESTER OF AN ACID SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF 2,4-DICHLORO-PHENOXY-ACETIC-ACID, 2,4-DICHLORO-PHENOXY-PROPIONIC-ACID, 2,4-DICHLORO-PHENOXY-BUTYRIC-ACID, 2,4,5-TRICHLORO-PHENOXY-ACETICACID, 2,4,5-TRICHLOROPHENOXY-PROPIONIC-ACID, 2,METHYL4-CHLORO-PHENOXY-ACETIC-ACID, 2-METHYL-4-CHLORO-PHENOXY-PROPIONIC-ACID AND ALPHA-NAPHTHYL-ACETIC-ACID, AND AN ALCOHOL OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ETHYLENE GLYCOL; PROPANE-DIOL-1,2; PROPANE-DIOL-1,3; BUTANE-DIOL-1,4; PENTANE-DIOL-1,5; HEXANE-DIOL1,6; DIETHYLENE GLYCOL; TRIETHYLENE GLYCOL; GLYCEROL; TRIMETHYLOL-PROPANE; PENTAERYTHRITOL; SORBITOL AND POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL AND POLYPROPYLENE GLYCOL WITH MOLECULAR WEIGHTS BETWEEN ABOUT 200 AND 2000 AND (B) AN AMIDE OF AN ACID OF THE AFORESAID GROUP AND AN AMINE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ETHYLENE DIAMINE, N,N''-DIMETHYLENTHYLENE DIAMINE, DIETHYLENE TRIAMINE AND HEXAMETHYLENE DIAMINE-1,6. 